HANDBOOK FOR
GRADUATE STUDENTS
IN ENGLISH
Loyola University Chicago
21st Edition
2014-2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. GENERAL INFORMATION 2
Department Office and Personnel 2
Graduate School Offices 2
Director of Graduate Programs 2
Committee on Graduate Programs 3
English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) 3
Student ID Cards 3
Computer Services 3
Mail 4
Bulletin Boards and Information 4
The “Fishbowl” 4
Teaching Opportunities 4
Service Opportunities 5
Summer Sessions 5
Housing 5
Transportation 5
Publication 5
Conference Presentations and Travel Funding 6
Placement Officer 6
Career Center 7
Clayes Essay Awards 7
Gravett-Tuma Book Award 7
II. REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES 7
Course Loads 7
Registration 7
Grades 7
Withdrawal 8
Incompletes 8
Leaves of Absence 8
Advanced Standing/Transfer Credit 9
Academic Honesty 10
Grievance Procedure 10
III. THE MASTER OF ARTS PROGRAM 11
Course and Examination Requirements 11
MA Qualifying Examination 11
Portfolio Review 12
Master’s Thesis 12
Time and Residence Requirements 12
Application for Degree 12
IV. THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM 13
Course and Examination Requirements 133
Research Tool Requirement 14
Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship (RCRS) 14
Examination Requirements 14
English 501, “Directed Readings” 15
English 502, “Independent Study for Doctoral Qualification” 15
Registration for Advanced Students 16
Advancement to Candidacy and Dissertation 16
Time and Residence Requirements 17
Application for Degree 17
V. ASSISTANTSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT 17
Graduate Assistantships 17
Policy on Graduate Student Substitutes 18
Funding for Advanced Students 18
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
Department Office and Personnel
Department Chair
Office Coordinator
Assistant Chair
Director of Graduate Programs (GPD)
Graduate Program Assistant
Director of Writing Programs
Director of the Writing Center
Assistant Director of the Writing Center
Director of Undergraduate Programs
Director of the Literacy Center
Dr. Joyce Wexler
Ms. Brenda Jervier
Dr. Brooks Bouson
Dr. James Knapp
Mr. Stephen Heintz
Ms. Sherrie Weller
Dr. Amy Kessel
Mr. David Macey
Dr. Jack Cragwall
Dr. Jackie Heckman
415 Crown
401 Crown
427 Crown
423 Crown
402 Crown
206 LH
204 LH
IC, 2nd Fl
461 Crown
434 Crown
508-2240
508-2240
508-2250
508-2241
508-2241
508-8466
508-2682
508-2241
508-2791
508-8494
The English Department and the offices of all graduate faculty are located on the fourth
floor of the Crown Center for the Humanities on the Lake Shore Campus. The Department can
be reached by telephone at (773) 508-2240, or by post at:
Crown Center 402
Loyola University Chicago
1032 West Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60660
The Department maintains a Web site at www.luc.edu/english.
Graduate School Offices
The main office of the Graduate School is on the fourth floor of the Granada Center on
the Lake Shore Campus. This office handles admissions and financial aid, and houses the
permanent files of all students throughout their graduate careers. The phone number for the
Graduate School is (773) 508-3396. Dr. Patricia Mooney-Melvin, Associate Dean, and Jessica
Horowitz, Assistant Dean, are your primary contacts for inquiries.
Director of Graduate Programs
Whether you are in the M.A. or Ph.D. program, your main adviser will be the Director of
Graduate Programs (abbreviated GPD). The current director is Dr. James Knapp. You are
expected to confer with him regularly about your course of study in pursuit of your degree. You
are encouraged to meet with the Director at other times as well to discuss your progress in the
program and your future plans.
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Committee on Graduate Programs
The Director is advised on all matters of policy, admissions, and student status by the
Committee on Graduate Programs. One student, chosen by election, sits on the Committee.
The faculty members of the Committee also serve as jury for the Clayes Award (see below).
English Graduate Student Association (EGSA)
The English Graduate Student Association is made up of all graduate students in the
Department. A board (normally comprising five members) is elected from among the students as
positions become available. EGSA sponsors social events for students and faculty, and publishes
an occasional newsletter with information about the Department, student achievements, and
upcoming events.
In addition, EGSA generally organizes a workshop each semester on topics of interest to
English graduate students at Loyola. Recent topics have included writing for publication, the
academic job search, Ph.D. exam preparation, and careers in community college teaching. EGSA
also serves as a forum for any special concerns graduate students may have and conveys those
concerns to the Committee on Graduate Programs through the student representative.
Students in all phases of their graduate careers are warmly encouraged to participate
actively in EGSA. The board members for 2014-15 are Katie Dyson, Mary Harmon, Wesley
Peart, Anna Cooperrider and Brett Beasley. A representative for the MA students will be elected
fall semester.
Student ID Cards
Student ID cards, giving access to library borrowing and other privileges, are available
from the Campus Card Office, Sullivan Center, Room 117.
Computer Services
The University maintains several Computer Centers which are available for your use in
Sullivan Center, Information Commons, and at 25 E. Pearson. There are also personal computers
available for the use of Graduate Assistants in the Graduate Student office space in Crown
Center 418.
An account on the student email system is created automatically for each new student.
Both the Director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate School will use this account to
communicate with you. It is therefore crucial that you check your Loyola e-mailbox on a
regular basis, or have your e-mail forwarded to an account you check regularly. If you find
that you are not receiving regular and frequent communiqués from the Department, please notify
the Secretary.
3
Mail
Each graduate student in the English Department is assigned a mailbox in the Department
workroom in Crown Center. Memos from faculty, EGSA, and University agencies are likely to
be relayed to you through this mail system; therefore, these mailboxes should be checked
frequently. Since the boxes are not locked, please be careful about what you leave in your box.
It is important to keep the Administrative Assistant to the Graduate Program
(Stephen Heintz) informed of your current home address and phone number, as well as of
your e-mail address. The Graduate School and the University should be notified of any changes
as well through LOCUS (locus.luc.edu).
Bulletin Boards and Information
The bulletin board outside the GPD office (Crown 423) features information regarding
the graduate programs—e.g., calls for papers, job offerings, fellowship opportunities. The board
in the English main office has departmental notices.
The “Fishbowl”
All graduate students in English have access to a common space in Crown Center 418,
better known as the “Fishbowl.” This is your space for studying, meetings, lunch, and
socializing; however, the department is responsible for its security. You may use the room up to
the start of evening classes (7 p.m.). After that, you must vacate the room and lock the door.
Teaching Opportunities
In addition to teaching assignments for Graduate Assistants, a number of teaching
opportunities are available to experienced graduate students. The University requires that you
have the M.A. degree; the Department requires that you have taken English 402 or its equivalent.
All graduate students who do not already have teaching experience are strongly encouraged to
take English 402 and to teach at least one writing course at Loyola.
The Department Chair, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Programs, assigns
all classes. Funded students will be assigned classes routinely; unfunded students should apply
directly to the department chair. The chairperson will invite applications for a limited number of
summer teaching opportunities. The criteria used to assign summer classes to graduate students
include: experience and proven success in the classroom; good progress toward the degree;
preparedness to teach the courses available; and previous summer teaching (in an effort to
distribute summer courses fairly). Contact the Department Chair or Ms. Jervier for further
information.
4
Service Opportunities
Students should take advantage of departmental and University service opportunities to
build their resumes/curricula vitae and to gain experience in the day-to-day operations of an
academic institution. Opportunities available include but are not limited to the following: EGSA
representative, Writing Programs committee, Graduate Programs committee, Undergraduate
Program committee, department meeting representative, GSAC representative, Literacy Center
tutor or staff person. Calls for volunteers for these positions go out annually in the fall term.
Summer Sessions
Two six-week summer sessions are offered through the Department each year, running
from May to August. At least two graduate-level courses are offered over the two summer terms.
When enrollment permits, we offer four courses. Teaching opportunities at the undergraduate
level may be available for qualified instructors (see above). Be aware, however, that there are
always more prospective teachers than available courses.
Housing
Most graduate students choose to find their own off-campus apartments using the ads in
the Reader, the Tribune, and other publicly available sources. Loyola’s Department of Residence
Life also offers single- and double-occupancy apartments for graduate students on the Lakeshore
Campus and the Water Tower Campus. For additional information, please see
http://www.luc.edu/reslife.
Transportation
If you plan to commute to Loyola, there are several parking lots that you may use. The
main parking structure, adjacent to Sheridan Road and to the Halas Sports Center, houses the
Parking Office, where you may purchase a sticker for annual parking. The fee for one-day
parking on campus is $7.00. At peak class times, available parking can sometimes be scarce.
Street parking in the community immediately surrounding campus is scarce. It is also restricted
to residents during certain hours, so be sure to read the signs carefully to avoid being ticketed by
the police.
Parking is also available near the Water Tower Campus, although it is more expensive.
You can have your parking stub stamped at the information desk at the 25 E. Pearson building to
receive a modest discount. If you teach or take classes at the Water Tower Campus, you will
probably want to acquaint yourself with the University’s inter-campus shuttle bus service. Public
buses and the “El” run frequently between campuses and to other points in the city.
Further information on parking is available at
http://www.luc.edu/campustransportation/generalinformation/lakeshorecampus/
For information on the shuttle, see
http://www.luc.edu/campustransportation/services/shuttlebusservice/
5
Publication
PhD students are encouraged to pursue the publication of one or more journal articles
during their graduate careers, generally after the first couple of years in the program. In the
current job market, publication is an important means of demonstrating to prospective employers
a high level of motivation and professional competence.
Three ways to prepare for this goal are 1) to read journals in your fields of interest
regularly in order to become familiar with both current scholarship and the requirements of
scholarly publication; 2) to review the MLA Directory of Periodicals in order to learn what
different journals expect or demand; and 3) to approach seminar papers, especially those in your
field(s) of interest, as potential publications, possibly even as publications targeted to a particular
journal. In developing a paper for publication, students are of course well advised to work
closely with their seminar instructors or faculty mentors. Current periodicals are located in
Cudahy Library. The MLA Directory is available in the reference section.
Conference Presentations and Travel Funding
Presentation of conference papers is an important part of students’ professional
development, and Ph.D. students in particular should aim to give at least two papers during their
graduate careers—preferably including professional and not just graduate-student conferences.
Each semester the Graduate School has funds to support graduate student travel for the
purpose of presenting papers or chairing sessions at conferences. Since funds are limited,
students should apply immediately upon acceptance of their papers or sessions. (Forms are
available at http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/servicesandresources_forms.shtml). The Department
supplements these funds when the Graduate School’s funds are exhausted or when a student is
presenting a paper at a second conference within one academic year. (Department forms are
available on the Graduate Programs website at http://luc.edu/english/links.shtml.) The
Department also has funding for attending summer seminars or conducting dissertation research
at a research library outside Chicago. These are competitive awards offered each semester. The
current subvention from the Graduate School for travel is $400. Departmental travel support,
which is funded primarily from the EGSA Student Activities budget, is likely to provide a much
lower level of sponsorship. Research awards are provided through the Department’s GravettTuma fund and are around $500 (depending on the number of awards and the funds available).
Please see the Director of Graduate Programs about the Gravett-Tuma funding.
After you return, you will be ask to supply all original receipts as well as boarding
passes for your trip, and proof of attendance (conference registration receipt and program copy
with your session). Ask Stephen Heintz for the travel expense form, fill it out, and return it with
the receipts to the Graduate School (for their funding) or to the Director of Graduate Programs
(for EGSA funding).
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Placement Officer
Each year a member of the faculty is appointed to advise students in their pursuit of an
academic appointment. The Placement Officer offers advice on all aspects of the job search and
will arrange for mock interviews before the MLA meetings in December, where most
interviewing takes place. All students who are entering the job market should contact the
Placement Officer early in the fall semester, before they begin to apply for positions. This year’s
Placement Officer is Dr. Paul Jay.
For the benefit of graduate students on the job market, the Department has established an
informative Web site at http://www.luc.edu/english/graduate_jobsearch.shtml. In addition, past
EGSA members have established a shared site on Sakai where students post sample documents.
Career Center
The University’s Career Center, where each student entering the job market should
establish a dossier containing letters of recommendation, is located in Sullivan Center, Room
295 (508-7716), with a very helpful website: http://www.luc.edu/career/RamberLink_Login.html
Clayes Essay Awards
Each year the Department sponsors a competition among graduate students for the
Stanley Clayes Memorial Award. Cash prizes are awarded to outstanding essays written for a
graduate class (excluding ENGL 501 and ENGL 502) the preceding academic year. The Call for
Papers comes out at the beginning of fall term, the deadline for submissions is in September, and
the Clayes presentations and reception is held in October. You are strongly encouraged to
discuss your submission with the professor for whom you wrote the paper.
Gravett-Tuma Book Award
Twice a year two students are selected to receive the Gravett-Tuma Book Award, made
possible by a generous donation from alumna Amber Gravett and her husband. In the fall,
students eligible for this award are those who have taken ENGL 502 (Independent Study for
Doctoral Qualification) the previous year; in the spring those eligible are students entering their
fourth semester in our program. Ms. Gravett selected the committee members:
II. REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES
Course Loads
A full-time student will usually carry three courses per semester, or, for Graduate
Assistants entering the classroom as instructors, two courses and one teaching assignment.
Course loads for part-time students are worked out on an individual basis. All students funded by
the Department or the Graduate School are considered full time.
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Registration
Both new and continuing students must complete the process of registration before every
semester in which they are either attending classes or writing their dissertations. A schedule of
courses for the upcoming term is available a few months before classes are scheduled to begin.
In order to register for graduate courses you must first consult with the Director of
Graduate Programs. Once your selections are approved, they will be entered into the system by
the Administrative Assistant to the program, completing the registration process. Graduate
students do not register for courses themselves. It is your responsibility to check LOCUS to
verify your registration each semester. Students must maintain continual registration
throughout their years in the program or risk having to apply for reinstatement and pay both a
penalty and back fees.
Grades
The grading system used in the Graduate School is as follows:
A
A–
B+
B
B–
C+
C
D
F
4.00
3.67
3.33
3.00
2.67
2.33
2.00
1.00
0.00
I
W
WF
CR
NC
AU
Incomplete
Withdrawal
Withdrawal, Failure
Credit
No Credit
Audit
For further information on Loyola’s grading policy, consult the Graduate School Catalog.
Graduate students in the English Department are expected to maintain an average of not
less than B (3.0). Those who fail to meet this requirement may be dismissed. No more than two
grades below B and no grades of D or F may be counted as fulfilling degree requirements. In any
case, Ph.D. students who find themselves receiving primarily B’s (or below) should consider
seriously whether pursuing a doctorate in English remains the most gainful use of their time.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal from graduate seminars is uncommon; however, students who do withdraw
from a course must first consult with the Graduate Program Director before dropping through
LOCUS. Students should check the academic calendar for deadlines on withdrawing for full or
partial refunds, and with a W or F grade. Students are responsible for withdrawing
themselves from classes.
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Incompletes
Faculty may assign the grade of I to a student who has not completed the assigned work
by the end of the term. This grade is not assigned automatically; rather, it is up to the student to
work out with the instructor a plan, including a deadline, for completing the work for the course.
The Graduate Program Director must sign off on incompletes before they will be awarded.
Students need to download the change-of-grade form from the Graduate School website and give
it to the Graduate Program Director when the incomplete is approved.
Under the Graduate School regulations, a student has one semester to complete the
course. If the student does not turn in the work by the deadline, the I will automatically become
an F. Please read the new policy on the Graduate School web page at
http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/academics_policies.shtml.
Although it is not uncommon for graduate students to take an occasional Incomplete, it is
of course better not to take an incomplete when possible. Making up an incomplete course often
proves harder than students expect, particularly if much time has elapsed since the end of the
course. In any case, faculty members have various policies regarding Incompletes, so it is
advisable to discuss the matter with your instructor as early as possible if you anticipate the need
for an Incomplete. You must also complete a form (available on our Web site at http://
www.luc.edu/english/links.shtml) and have it signed by the GPD. No more than one I can be
requested in a semester, unless there are extenuating circumstances (e.g., a serious illness).
Leaves of Absence
Official leaves of absence are intended for students who wish to discontinue temporarily
their graduate studies due to special circumstances (e.g., medical, personal, or professional
reasons). A leave of absence postpones all deadlines concerning completion of degree
requirements for the duration of the leave. A student requesting a leave must complete a Leave
of Absence form and contact the Graduate Program Director, who then makes a recommendation
on the student’s behalf to the Graduate School. Decisions regarding the approval of leaves of
absence rest with the Graduate School.
Leaves of absence may be requested for a semester or for a full academic year. In order
to be reinstated to active status, the student must notify the Graduate School in writing
upon returning from a leave. Unless the student is granted a renewal of a leave, he or she must
return to active status in the semester following its expiration. Failure to do so may result in
withdrawal from the program.
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Advanced Standing/Transfer Credits
It is ordinarily expected that all work for the Master’s degree will be completed at
Loyola. Upon the recommendation of the Director of Graduate Programs, however, and with the
approval of the Dean, up to six hours of credit for graduate work at another university may be
counted toward the M.A. degree.
For students entering the Ph.D. program with prior graduate work, up to thirty hours of
credit may, with the Department’s recommendation and the Dean’s approval, be counted toward
a Loyola PhD. The precise number of hours credited toward advanced standing is worked out by
the Director of Graduate Programs during a student’s first semester in the program.
Academic Honesty
Although academic dishonesty can take many forms, in our field it manifests primarily as
plagiarism. The Graduate School Catalog defines plagiarism as “the appropriation for gain of
ideas, language or work of another without sufficient public acknowledgement that the material
is not one’s own.” As a graduate student, you very likely have a good understanding of the
boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not. If you are ever uncertain, it is of course best to
consult the Director of Graduate Programs or another faculty member.
The penalty for an instance of plagiarism is, at a minimum, failure on the assignment,
which may well be tantamount to failure in the course. A serious breach or a pattern of
dishonesty can lead to expulsion from Loyola. Although quite rare in our department, cases have
occurred in the past and have resulted in dismissal.
Grievance Procedure
Students, faculty, and administrators are strongly encouraged to resolve any problems
they encounter in the academic process through informal discussion. If you are unable to resolve
a problem with a member of the staff or faculty, or if you wish to lodge a formal complaint, you
should first meet to discuss the matter with the Director of Graduate Programs. If the problem
cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the GPD, it will be taken up by the Department Chair who, if
necessary, will refer it to a departmental grievance committee. The decision of that committee
can be appealed to the Graduate School. Students wishing to initiate a grievance must do so in
writing to the Dean. Further information can be obtained from the Graduate School office.
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III. THE MASTER OF ARTS PROGRAM
Course and Examination Requirements

English 400 (Introduction to Graduate Study).

English 402 (Teaching College Composition) (required for the teaching track only)

At least three courses in literary studies. At least one course must be in literature before
1800, one in literature after 1800.

At least one course in critical theory (courses numbered 410-429).

One course in textual studies or digital humanities, or (for the teaching track) pedagogy.

Two elective courses, for a total of twenty-four hours.

M.A. Qualifying Examination (see below).
M.A. Qualifying Examination
Immediately after the regular exam period for the second Summer term ends, all students
will take a four-hour written examination at the end of their course work. The exam is given
during the last week of second summer term in August, and the first day of exam week in
December and May. The exam will be prepared and graded by a four-member M.A. examining
committee using a standard set of questions, each testing a particular skill. Faculty teaching
graduate seminars in any one year will submit a short list of required readings (literary, critical,
and theoretical) from their courses. From that list, the examining committee will form a master
list of major texts to be used by students in answering the exam questions. The short lists will be
shared with students prior to the exam, the master list will not.
The exam will be graded as High Pass, Pass, Low Pass or Fail. The minimum
requirements for the M.A. degree will be a Low Pass on the exam and a B average in all course
work. M.A. students who fail the exam may retake it once, at the conclusion of the Fall semester
in the same year. Ph.D. students who fail the exam may also retake it once, but only to
complete the M.A. degree: they will not be allowed to continue in the program. Ph.D.
students who receive a Low Pass will have their exams forwarded to the Committee on Graduate
Programs, which will review their exams and their performance in course work in order to
determine whether or not they should be permitted to continue, and if so under what probationary
conditions, if any.
The M.A. exam serves as both a requirement for the Master’s degree and a qualifying
exam for students intending to proceed toward the PhD. The Committee on Graduate Programs
will consider the performance of such students in all facets of the M.A. program; however, the
M.A. exam is designed as a key indicator of students’ ability to continue work toward the Ph.D.
The exam is given at the end of second summer term for an August degree and (for those
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completing the degree in more than one year) at the end of December for a December
degree and the beginning of May for a May degree. All candidates must take the
examination at one of these times.
Portfolio Review
Because first-year Ph.D. students must register for fall classes before taking the M.A.
exam, however, the department has instituted a portfolio review for all first-year Ph.D. students
whose GPA for the fall and spring semesters is below 3.5. Those students must submit a
portfolio of three essays (totaling at least 30 pages) to the Director of Graduate Programs the
week after spring semester final exams. The portfolio must contain a letter to the GPD explaining
the challenges the student faced the first year and how the student has responded to those
challenges. Members of the Graduate Programs Committee will review the portfolio and make a
recommendation to the GPD. Even if the student is advised not to continue for the Ph.D., he or
she will take the M.A. exam in August to complete the M.A. degree.
Master’s Thesis
A thesis is not required for the M.A. degree. Students may choose to write a thesis in lieu
of taking two classes (6 credits), although course work is strongly recommended over the thesis
option. Students wishing to do a thesis should discuss this option as early as possible with the
Director of Graduate Programs. Regarding thesis procedures see the Graduate School Catalog.
Time and Residence Requirements
Normally it takes one year of full-time study to earn a master’s degree in English from
Loyola. Students who attend part time should complete the program within two years due to the
nature of the M.A. exam. After five years, the student may continue only by special action of the
Dean of the Graduate School.
Application for Degree
It is the exclusive responsibility of all graduate students to inform the Graduate
School office of their intention to graduate with an M.A. degree. Once you have determined
when you will receive your degree (e.g., August, December or May), you must apply for
graduation through LOCUS. The Graduate School sets the deadlines (typically December 1 for a
May degree, February 1 for an August degree, and August 1 for a December degree). Check the
academic calendar for the Graduate School available through the main page of the Loyola
website.
After completing the summer courses and passing the exams, you'll be certified for an
August degree. Because we have only one ceremony per year when students "walk," however,
August degree students walk in the May ceremony the following year.
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IV. THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM
Course and Examination Requirements
Doctoral students in English who have completed the M.A. degree must enter one of the
following three specialized fields and meet the both the program requirements and the course
requirements defined for that specialization.
Program requirements include:




English 400: Introduction to Graduate Study.
English 402: Teaching College Composition
English 502: Independent Study for Doctoral Qualification
Two courses in critical theory, textual studies, composition, and/or rhetoric (403-428);
at least one of these two courses must be in critical theory
In addition, students in all three fields must complete the research tool requirements (see
below).
Field-specific requirements include:
1. Medieval and Renaissance Literature




At least six courses in Medieval and Renaissance Literature (numbered 440–459).
At least one course in Nineteenth-Century Studies (ENGL 460-478 and 490-493).
At least one course in Modern Literature and Culture (480–489 and 494–499).
Seven electives to fulfill the 60-hour requirement.
2. Nineteenth-Century Studies




At least six courses in Nineteenth-Century Literature (numbered 470–479, 490–493).
At least one courses in Medieval or Renaissance Literature (440–459).
At least one course in Modern Literature and Culture (480–489 and 494–499).
Seven electives to fulfill the 60-hour requirement.
3. Modern Literature and Culture
Includes postmodern and contemporary literatures as well as the modernist period




At least six courses in Modern Literature (numbered 480–489 and 494-499).
At least one course in Medieval or Renaissance Literature (440–459).
At least one course in Nineteenth-Century Literature (470–479, 490–493).
Seven electives to fulfill the 60-hour requirement.
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Note: Other courses not listed above may, at the discretion of the Graduate Program Director,
count toward one period requirement or another, depending on their specific content in a given
semester. Also, with approval of the Graduate Program Director, students may take a graduate
course in another department for elective credit as long as the course is taught by a professor
with a terminal degree (that is, a Ph.D. not an MA).
The M.A. Qualifying Examination, research tool, and Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
requirements remain the same in all fields. Students will be free to change their field at any time,
provided that they are able to fulfill the course requirements for the new field.
Research Tool Requirement
Prior to taking the Ph.D. examination, students pursuing a Ph.D. must demonstrate a
reading knowledge of a language other than English, by passing a translation examination, by
taking a graduate-level course in a foreign language and receiving a grade of B or higher, or by
showing proof that one passed a graduate-level course or an exam as a graduate student another
institution. The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers reading courses
specifically designed for graduate students in other disciplines. Students are encouraged to
discuss completion of this requirement with the Director of Graduate Programs soon after
entering the program.
Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship
The Graduate School requires all Ph.D. students, and those M.A. students writing a
thesis, to attend one of its workshops on Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship
(RCRS) prior to completing the dissertation or thesis. Ph.D. students are encouraged to wait until
their third or fourth year to fulfill this requirement. Workshops are offered throughout the year.
M.A. Qualifying Examination
For information on this exam, please see section III, above.
Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
The Ph.D. examination includes a written and an oral component. The written exam
consists of three three-hour papers covering fields to be chosen by the student in consultation
with his or her examining committee and the Director of Graduate Programs. With the approval
of their examiners, students must define three fields. Fields may be of the following kinds:
1) An area of critical theory;
2) An author;
3) The literature of an historical period and/or genre, which may be additionally
focused on a particular subgroup.
4) Textual Studies/digital humanities
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Students may include up to three fields of the third type, but only one field of any other type.
Examples of literary fields might include:
17th-Century British poetry
Postcolonial drama
African-American literature, 1914-1959
Modernist poetry
Early Modern women’s writing
Medieval drama
Contemporary working-class fiction of the U.S.
Modernist manifestos
Any or all of the exam fields may be related to the student’s dissertation topic; however,
some breadth across fields is expected. And although the selection of texts within each field will
be influenced to some extent by the student’s particular interests and approach, he or she will
also be expected to demonstrate a general mastery of the field.
Field descriptions and reading lists are worked out by the student in consultation with his
or her examining committee and must be approved by the examiners and by the Director of
Graduate Programs well before the written examination is scheduled. (Exams are given in
November, February, and April each year.) The Director of Graduate Programs will provide you
with a packet of materials detailing all exam-related procedures. Reading lists are due several
months before the exam date, and field statements are due one month prior to the exam.
Students cannot schedule their exam times until the field statements have been submitted.
The written examination is followed by a two-hour oral examination that is based on, but not
limited to, the written portion. Students who fail the exam may retake it once, within one year.
English 501, “Directed Readings”
English 501 is an elective “independent study” course which may be taken at most twice
in the Ph.D. program. If you are interested in this option, you must first find a faculty member
willing to direct it. You must then fill out a departmental form (available on our Web site at
http://www.luc.edu/english/links.shtml) and submit the form to the Director of Graduate
Programs for approval in the semester prior to the course. 501 requires a minimum of 12 contact
hours between faculty and student (approximately 1 hour every week) and a minimum of 25
pages of writing.
English 502, “Independent Study for Doctoral Qualification”
In English 502, students prepare for the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and write a draft
their dissertation proposals, or at least a literature review, under the supervision of their eventual
dissertation directors. Graduate School and English Department forms must be approved by the
Director of Graduate Programs in the semester prior to the course.
English 502 explicitly couples the drafting of a dissertation proposal—and thus the
earliest stages of dissertation research, the formation of a core bibliography, and the definition of
the project itself—with the student’s preparation for the Ph.D. Exam. The Department believes
that these tasks are closely related, that they can and should be accomplished together, and that
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neither should supercede or delay the other. 502 requires a minimum of 7 contact hours between
faculty and student (approximately 1 hour every two weeks) and the submission of a draft of the
proposal or substantial progress toward that proposal, such as a literature review.
If a student takes an Incomplete in English 502, the course must be completed the
next semester after the semester of registration. (See Incompletes above) A student who does
not complete English 502 within the specified time will have to retake the course at his or her
own expense.
Registration for Advanced Students
Students who have completed their course work should register for ENGL 610. After two
semesters in ENGL 610, or once you have gained ABD status (see below), you should register
for ENGL 600. You must maintain continuous registration in English 600 until you
complete your degree. Both courses require a minimum of one contact hour monthly with the
dissertation director and substantial writing (preferably a chapter draft) every 3 months.
Students do not need to register for 600 or 610 during the summer months. However,
those on government loans who must show they are registered for classes over the summer can
register for a “dummy” course, either GSSM S61 (if they are in 610) or S60 (for 600). Students
must register for these courses themselves and will pay a nominal fee.
Advancement to Candidacy and Dissertation
You become a Ph.D. candidate when you complete all course requirements (including
English 502), fulfill the Foreign Language requirement, pass the Ph.D. Examination, establish a
dissertation committee, and have your dissertation proposal approved ( ideally within 6 months
of completing the comprehensive exams).
The selection of dissertation topic, director, and committee (two additional faculty
“readers”) is made in consultation with the Graduate Program Director. Once these decisions
have been made, you must obtain a copy of the Graduate School’s forms regarding the
dissertation (available on line), and then prepare a proposal for the approval of your committee.
After your proposal and committee are approved, you are considered “ABD.” Your progress now
will be monitored by your dissertation director, who will report on your work to the GPD. (Note:
You do not need to have the proposal approved by the entire committee to complete 502.)
When your dissertation is completed, you will give a “Final Public Presentation and
Defense” of your project, followed by a question-and-answer session led by your dissertation
committee. Reader’s copies are due to the committee one month prior to the defense, with a
reader’s ballot for each member (available at
http://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/english/pdfs/diss_ballot.pdf). Once these ballots are
submitted, the Graduate Programs secretary will announce the defense publicly. At the defense,
students need to present the chair of the committee with the Graduate School ballot for approval
of the dissertation (available at
http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/servicesandresources_forms.shtml).
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Students should check the Graduate School calendar for deadlines on format check and
submission of the dissertation (now done electronically) for a December or May degree.
See the ETD/Proquest link for electronic submission: http://www.etdadmin.com/luc.
Also see the formatting website: http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/formatting.shtml
Time and Residence Requirements
According to Graduate School regulations, work on the Ph.D. must be completed eight
years from the time you have begun course work applicable to the degree; if you entered with an
MA, you will have six years from the time of beginning course work for the PhD.
Students who are beyond the eight-year (or six-year) limit will be surveyed on their
progress annually by the Graduate Program Director and must apply to the Graduate School for
an extension of their time limit. The Graduate Program Director and dissertation director will
issue a recommendation to the Graduate School as to whether each such student should be
permitted to continue toward the degree. Extensions are not routine; students must demonstrate
that they are making progress toward the degree.
Students requesting extensions must fill out two forms, departmental
(http://luc.edu/english/links.shtml) and Graduate School
(http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/servicesandresources_forms.shtml) and return them to the GPD,
but first they must defend their progress before their committees. (See the GPD to arrange a
defense.)
Application for Degree
It is the exclusive responsibility of all graduate students to inform the Graduate
School office of their intention to graduate with an M.A. or Ph.D. degree. Once you have
determined when you will receive your degree, you must file the “Application for Graduation”
with the Graduate School several months before the graduation date.
V. ASSISTANTSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT
Graduate Assistantships
Each year the Department of English offers a number of Graduate Assistantships for new
and continuing students. Unlike many other universities, however, Loyola concentrates on
developing assistants’ skills before allowing them to assume sole responsibility for a
composition course. Rather than being immediately assigned to teach a class during their first
semester of graduate school, assistants first gain experience tutoring undergraduates in the
Writing Center. First semester they tutor for two shifts. During their second semester, assistants
work with a faculty member in a Mentorship Program that allows them to assume some grading
and instructional duties within the mentor’s composition class, and tutor for one shift.
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In the second year (or first year post-MA), assistants teach one composition course each
semester, receiving informal support and guidance from the mentor of the previous year. In the
third, fourth and fifth years, assistants normally work as teaching assistants in a literature course,
teach one literature course per term, or serve as research assistants for one semester. In addition,
one student each year is assigned as the assistant director of the Writing Center, and fifth-year
students may be asked to cover a shift in the Writing Center each term. Graduate instructors at
Loyola never teach more than one class per term.
Typically students are expected to work between 10 and 15 hours per week, but no more
than 20, as stipulated by the Graduate School.
Graduate Assistantships are renewable for a total of five years of support, if the students
remain in good standing and are making good progress toward the degree. After that, students
can apply through the Department for a range of fellowship opportunities made available by the
Graduate School (see below).
The broad terms of the assistantships and their monetary value are determined by The
Graduate School. Their policies can be found on our website at ________________________
Policy on Graduate Student Substitutes
All third, fourth, and fifth-year graduate assistants who are not serving as instructors-ofrecord also take courses for faculty who must miss a class because of professional conferences,
previously scheduled speaking engagements, or for other occasions as approved by the chair.
Students serving as substitutes in a given semester cannot turn down a request to take a faculty
member's class unless they are in class themselves or attending a professional conference. In
turn, the department makes every effort to distribute the workload equitably among the students
serving in this capacity. Students should be called upon to cover a class no more than 5 times in
the course of a semester.
Because the students are not necessarily trained in the content area of the faculty
member's course, faculty members must devise assignments with this in mind. Substitutes may
show a film, conduct a writing workshop prepared by the faculty member, or proctor an exam.
Substitutes must not be asked to prepare the course themselves.
Given that we have only a few students to cover classes in any one semester, faculty may
request a substitute for only one conference per semester (2-4 classes depending on the faculty
member’s course load). All requests must be made at least two weeks prior to the planned
absence and must be accompanied by the materials to be covered in the missed classes and by
the Request Form (to be found on the Graduate Programs web page at
http://www.luc.edu/english/grad_fac_resources.shtml).
Funding for Advanced Students
Students who have completed course work, passed the Ph.D. exam, and received
approval of their dissertation proposals are eligible to apply for the Arthur J. Schmitt Dissertation
Fellowships. The award, which is not renewable, requires no service. Advanced students are also
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eligible to apply for a very limited number of Teaching Scholars Awards, whose service
requirements include the teaching of three courses, and Advanced Fellowships with no teaching
responsibilities.
For further information on these awards, administered by the Graduate School, please see
http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/admission_financialaid.shtml
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